Compare The Marriage Proposals Made To Elizabeth Bennet English Literature Essay

One of the chief subjects of the fresh “ Pride and Prejudice ” is matrimony. Austen portrays many different attitudes to marriage that existed in her clip, through the medium of her characters. The proposals from Mr Collins and Mr Darcy represent the different attitudes towards matrimony, every bit good as giving an penetration into their personal features and behavior.

Mr Collins ‘ proposal is one of the most humourous parts of the novel. Austen has already established the absurdnesss in Mr Collins ‘ address and manners antecedently in the novel. However, his proposal raises him to new highs of folly. Although Elizabeth is despairing to acquire off at first, she is so overcome by the temper of the state of affairs when Mr Collins begins to talk of his feelings running off with him. There are evidently no feelings involved in his offer, other that self pride and superciliousness. Austen besides states that as he prepared for his proposal, “ he set about it in a really orderly mode, with all the observations which he supposed a regular portion of the concern ” . For Mr Collins, this is a concern dealing, non an chance to show love for Elizabeth.

Mr Collins besides attempts to do Elizabeth understand the ground for his desire to get married her. He goes about this, by naming the grounds for get marrieding her. However, this list makes him sound unromantic, exudes a tone of superciliousness and merely works against him. He says, “ My grounds for get marrieding are, first that I think it is a right for every reverend in easy fortunes to put an illustration of marriage in his parish. Second, that I am convinced that it will add greatly to my felicity ; and thirdly, which possibly I ought to hold mentioned earlier, that it is the peculiar advice and recommendation of the really baronial lady whom I have the honor of naming patronne ” . This address instantly breaks any possible positive response, because Mr Collins ‘ grounds for get marrieding are based on selfishness and the blessing of Lady Catherine, whose sentiment affairs more to him than that of the adult female he wants to get married. This besides shows that Mr Collins will set himself before his married woman and does n’t cognize how to handle a adult female, or even acknowledge the fact that the end of his full proposal should be Elizabeth ‘s reply. His haughtiness prevents him from praising her beauty, her intelligence or even blandishing her before seeking her consent.

Rather than congratulating Elizabeth, Mr Collins insults her on several occasions throughout his proposal. “ Your humor and vivacity I think must be acceptable to her… . ” Here, Mr Collins is stating Elizabeth that he finds her usage of temper to be bad manners, and that Lady Catherine wo n’t accept it. Again, this lone emphasises his haughtiness and inability to pass on with adult females.

Mr Collins ‘ effort at an emotional entreaty is besides insensitive. He states that he will open up to Elizabeth, about his fondness. “ And now observing remains for me, but to guarantee you in the most alive linguistic communication, of the force of my fondness ” . However, this violent fondness is ne’er displayed. Alternatively, Mr Collins speaks in cold blood of luck and heritage, underscoring his absent mindedness.

When Elizabeth rejects his proposal, Mr Collins tries to alter her head, but merely makes petroleum Markss. “ Because I know it to be the constituted usage of your sex to reject a adult male on the first application, and possibly you have even now said every bit much to promote my suit as would be consistent with the daintiness of the female character ” . Not merely is this statement insensitive, but it besides defeats the intent of Mr Collins ‘ effort to convert Elizabeth of anything. If her reply does n’t count, so why should he blow his clip inquiring her?

There are besides legion implied menaces in Mr Collins ‘ proposal. He tells Elizabeth that if she does n’t accept his offer of matrimony, she may ne’er acquire another offer. Here, Mr Collins is seeking to blackjack Elizabeth, by stating that if she does n’t accept him, no 1 else will desire her. When Elizabeth repeatedly refused him, Mr Collins threatens her once more. “ And I am persuaded that when sanctioned by the express authorization of your first-class parents, my proposals will non neglect of being acceptable ” . Mr Collins is stating Elizabeth that even though she rejected his proposal, if he spoke to her parents, they might coerce her to hold to the matrimony. This once more shows that Mr Collins does n’t understand members of the opposite sex or how to blandish a adult female. It besides emphasises his selfish attitude.

Mr Collins ‘ proposal was fuelled by his ain economic motivations, his desire to delight Lady Catherine and by Mrs Bennet ‘s economic frights that Elizabeth will inherit small money, when her male parent dies. Although most adult females in 19th century Britain would hold wanted to get married for love, many would hold accepted a proposal like Mr Collins ‘ , because they had to happen a hubby who could offer both security and a reliable income, or else they might hold to get married beneath their societal category.

Darcy ‘s proposal is one of the most of import parts of the novel, as it presents the secret plan ‘s flood tide. Austen has carefully structured the secret plan, so that Darcy ‘s proposal comes at the tallness of Elizabeth ‘s choler towards him. The proposal itself is filled with pride, merely like Mr Collins ‘ proposal. On the first line, Darcy says “ In vain I have struggled. It will non make. My feelings will non be repressed ” . Here, he admits that he is surprised that he has fallen in love with Elizabeth and that he did n’t desire to fall in love with her. Like parts in Mr Collins ‘ proposal, this excessively is insensitive, as Darcy has told Elizabeth that he did n’t desire to fall in love with her, but he has. He has insulted her on the really first line of his proposal. However, unlike Mr Collins, Darcy really loves Elizabeth and his “ feelings will non be repressed ” , nevertheless hard he tries to.

Darcy besides tells Elizabeth that he has no declinations about interrupting up the relationship between Mr Bingley and Jane, because of her sister ‘s low societal position. This by deduction, a societal contemplation on Elizabeth herself. This is yet another abuse to Elizabeth, about her household ‘s low societal position. Like Mr Collins, Darcy besides insults Elizabeth throughout his proposal, and he excessively does n’t blandish Elizabeth before inquiring for her consent.

Rather than stressing his love for Elizabeth, he focuses on the negatives of the state of affairs and makes belittling remarks about her household. However, Darcy is willing to damage his ain societal position by get marrieding Elizabeth, and he goes against everything his friends and household want, by really suggesting to her. On the other manus, Mr Collins merely does what Lady Catherine wants, and what she advises him to make. Darcy ‘s proposal is besides more self-generated and from the bosom. Austen shows this by utilizing broken sentences, intermissions and exclaiming Markss throughout his address.

Austen has used different sums of duologue, to demo who dominates the scene. During the scene, both Elizabeth and Darcy speak every bit, and unlike Mr Collins, Darcy does n’t rule the full scene. The fact that he allows Elizabeth to talk every bit good, and that he listens to her, shows he has regard for her.

Although Darcy ‘s account is non rather romantic, it does demo how much in love he is with Elizabeth, since he is will to overlook her household ‘s insufficiencies, which he regarded so extremely antecedently. Austen besides makes us particularly sympathetic towards Mr Darcy as he loves

Elizabeth and she refuses him, nevertheless on the reverse we do n’t experience remotely regretful for Collins since he is n’t in love with her at all.

However, in his 2nd proposal, Darcy meekly restates his love for Elizabeth. This clip, the scene begins on a really happy note as Bingley and Jane have already been united and more significantly, Elizabeth thanks Darcy for all that he has done to do Wickham marry Lydia and hence salvaging the Bennet household honor. On the first juncture Darcy is still proud and haughty and he is certain that Elizabeth will accept him, because after all he is affluent and rich: ” he had no uncertainty of aA favourableA reply. ” He is self-satisfied and takes Elizabeth for granted. To do affairs worse, he confesses to her that he has fallen in love with her against his ain wants. This is shown when he says “ in vain have I struggled. ” Elizabeth of class is strongly prejudiced against him and hates him andA rationalizesA her biass and disfavor for him by giving him three grounds for her rejection. However, from so onwards both the characters undergo a complete alteration.

The linguistic communication of both the characters when Elizabeth rejects Darcy is rough, aggressive and hostile: “ so immovable a disfavor, ” , “ and picket with choler. ” On the contrary the linguistic communication in Darcy ‘s 2nd proposal is soft, polite and fond: “ the look of heart-felt delectation diffused over his face. ” A This is because the first clip Elizabeth was “ amazed ” at his audacity in suggesting to her whereas the 2nd clip, she is “ abashed ” at his inordinate love and fondness for her.

With great sarcasm and humor, Austen shows how the tenderest human feelings interact with and are influenced by fiscal considerations. In her clip, matrimony was seen as a type of fiscal security. The connection of Elizabeth and Darcy shows how Austen was in favor of get marrieding for love and nil else, irrespective of wealth or societal background.